Russia has launched a large-scale campaign to recruit Iranian citizens and Afghan refugees to fight in the war against Ukraine, according to the Robert Lansing Institute.
In December 2025, flyers in Persian appeared in Tehran offering men aged 18 to 45 the opportunity to join Russian military units with a one-time payment of $20,000 and a monthly salary of about $2,000.
The contracts include free housing, medical care, travel tickets to Russia, and additional bonuses. The flyers provide contact details, including an email address, an Armenian WhatsApp number, and a Telegram channel titled “Join the Russian Army for Foreigners,” which has more than 2,000 subscribers.
Recruitment is conducted through Russian networks operating out of Armenia and, according to Western analysts, may be coordinated with the tacit consent of Iranian authorities, including the IRGC. The Russian embassy in Tehran has officially described the flyers as fake; however, similar recruitment practices via diplomatic structures have previously been documented in Syria, Cuba, and Central Asia.
The primary motivation for recruitment in Iran is explained by demographic and economic factors. The country is facing high youth unemployment, inflation, and economic stagnation due to sanctions. Iran also hosts between 3 and 5 million Afghan refugees, many of whom are in vulnerable conditions and easily influenced by financial incentives. Russia is in need of new human resources due to catastrophic battlefield losses—estimated at over 1 million killed or wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion.
In Iran, recruitment targets infantry soldiers, drone operators, drivers, and technical staff, with no requirement to speak Russian. Women with medical training are also offered positions. Training for recruits lasts 7–14 days, after which they are used mainly in attritional assault operations, demining, and support roles. The tactical effectiveness of Iranian and Afghan mercenaries is low, but their strategic value is high, as they allow Russia to compensate for losses in assault units and continue a war of attrition.
Experts outline several recruitment scenarios: a symbolic intake of several hundred fighters, a structured but limited intake of 2,000–5,000 personnel, and a large foreign legion of 5,000–10,000 fighters. The most likely scenario over the next 12–18 months is a structured but limited recruitment effort. Large-scale recruitment would become possible only if the military situation in Ukraine deteriorates further or if Iran increases its demands on Moscow.
